maryt...thanks for the concern but I don't think you're really grasping the situation very well or else you don't have much of a sense of humor. I am very confident in my ability to care for myself and my baby and yes, I am able to gauge my exertion level. Marathons are more or less stressful depending on the individual's fitnes level. I know you only have my best interest in mind, so thank you. I will now return to worrying over caffeine, folic acid, hot baths, mercury, vaccinations,microwaves, vitamin a, my dog's flea medication, nail salons, non organic fruits and vegetables, sushi, soft cheese, deli meats, tap water, sleeping on my back, and now.....stress hormones!

You're right, I don't have much of a sense of humor when I think people may be planning to do something that might put a child at risk. I'm not concerned about you - I don't think you will have a problem finishing or miscarry on the course - it's the long term effects on your baby that concern me. I think I'm grasping the situation a whole lot better than you appear to be, perhaps because I've studied toxicology and problems that can effect the unborn and know that many things done during a pregnancy can harm an unborn child and the effects not be realized for years, like smoking, some drugs, etc. Don't forget the fact that when you do have heat problems, one of the things that happens is confusion, so maybe you shouldn't be quite very confident in your ability to gauge your exertion level; you may not realize how bad a shape you're in. I know many seasoned marathoners who have run Boston, thought they were doing OK, but ended up in med tents. You certainly aren't going to know what your'e doing to your baby, despite your being "very confident" in your ability to care for it. If you travel to Boston (sounds like you're not local) and the day dawns unusually warm, once you're actually at a race it's a lot harder to make the decision not to run - same goes for overheating late in the race. Will you really not start if your'e at the race? Or be able to realize you should stop, if you are just a couple miles short of the finish line?

So add a few more to your list of concerns about mercury and the like, concerns about your own elevated temperature while doing a marathon - how different is it likely to be from getting into a hot tub, which you already know you should't do? Also add dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and the likely long time delays to get back if you decide to stop. It's not just the corticoid steroids released that can be problem for an unborn. Maybe you shouldn't be quite so confident about your ability to care for your baby and run a marathon at the same time.

Could be the risks are low, but noone knows one way or the other, so why take a chance? To answer the question you first posed, is it possible and not completely foolish to still want to go to Boston and just participate: to want to go is quite reasonable and understandable, but to take the risk and actually do so? Possible, yes, but also foolish.

You can run Boston another year - your baby doesn't have another chance to develop. Put your baby first.

maryt...thanks for the concern but I don't think you're really grasping the situation very well or else you don't have much of a sense of humor. I am very confident in my ability to care for myself and my baby and yes, I am able to gauge my exertion level. Marathons are more or less stressful depending on the individual's fitnes level. I know you only have my best interest in mind, so thank you. I will now return to worrying over caffeine, folic acid, hot baths, mercury, vaccinations,microwaves, vitamin a, my dog's flea medication, nail salons, non organic fruits and vegetables, sushi, soft cheese, deli meats, tap water, sleeping on my back, and now.....stress hormones!

Are you looking for an opinion or for permission? Not trying to be mean, just trying to get to the heart of the matter. Completely agree w/ Laker and Mary--not worth the risk.

Boston will always be there. Why not run it when you can give it your all?

[http://This message has been edited by tuscaloosarunner (edited Mar-02-2007).|http://This message has been edited by tuscaloosarunner (edited Mar-02-2007).]

I am in the maryt, laker, tuscaloosa camp. You should still be qualified for 2008. I understand the desire to get the Boston experience, but I personally would never put that before the health of my babyeven if there was no definitive proof that getting that experience would do harm. And I say this as someone who regularly pushes the envelope in terms of running with minor injuries, chest colds, in extremish weather, etc. Running regularly through your preganancy is cool if sanctioned by your ob. But running a marathon is different then running an easy 20-30 mpw. Even if you run it slow, you'll be out there under stress for around 4 hours or so. I just don't understand why it's worth it. I don't think you're a bad person or bad mother for considering itI can relate to your perserverance--but I have to say I think you're really risking way too much for something you can do next year. That's my opinion anyway. I wish you the best whatever you decide.

Thank you all...I really do appreciate all of your comments and MaryT I do appreciate your knowledge of toxicology...I'm just trying to keep this thread light because the stress and shock of finding out I'm pregnant to begin with is already ovewhelming. Maybe that didn't come across very well. I'm actually very paranoid and cautious just in general and just naturally assumed I had to give up running Boston but was hoping that maybe that wasn't true which is why I asked to begin with.It's hard to give up on something I worked very hard for especially since there are no guarantees that I'll get back to Boston.

?? how do you know anything about my priorities? my ob and everything I've researched says that running during pregnancy is healthy for both mom and baby. My original question was whether there was a safe and modified way to participate in a marathon to which there are differing opinions....I'm pretty sure I'm not running Boston because it seems there are valid risks, but I certainly don't feel bad about being disappointed in that fact.

Wow, I appreciated everybody's opinion on the marathon but certainly don't appreciate being judged by someone who has no idea what they are talking about and no constructive information to add to the conversation.

Wow, I appreciated everybody's opinion on the marathon but certainly don't appreciate being judged by someone who has no idea what they are talking about and no constructive information to add to the conversation.

Mayfield - Amen to that! I completely agree and that's why I chose not to ask others' opinions about what to do with regards to deciding to run my marathon. Lots of differing opinions and yes a lot of judgment. I made the decision to run my marathon while pregnant (8wk) in a cool weather marathon, but actually did not tell anyone (except my OB and DH of course - my OB actually was completely fine with it and I made sure she understood that this was 26.2 miles, not just an average run) because I knew the criticism and judgment that comes with that. I actually felt the best I have ever felt after that marathon. FWIW, that was my 8th marathon, and although that doesn't consider me a veteran marathoner, I have never had to visit the med tent (and don't plan to). I know my body and my limits, yes even at mile 23-24. I did have support with me throughout the course in case something did happen and I needed a way back. In fact, I still haven't told many in my running community because of others' judgment re: my decision to continue running (much shorter distances now of course) and I would just rather not be judged in my decisions. It just seems to make others overly concerned which in turn makes me irritated so I figure there's absolutely no point in that. I too am missing Boston this year and would have loved to have gone. I am disappointed because my qualifying race would have put me in wave 1. I'm not sorry I'm missing Boston, but yes I am disappointed to have to miss it this year. Sorry for those of you who judge me to be a bad person because I feel this way. I pondered the idea of paying the fees and deferring for one year, but decided against that because of course there's another Boston, even if I will no longer qualify for the first wave. And of course, my baby takes priority above all else. Disappointment about not being able to run Boston does not equal disappointment in having this baby. I am absolutely thrilled.

I am very sorry that you must deal with this negativity. maryt is usually very harsh and misinformed so I would tend to ignore that person. As for the others meh. It is my understanding that when you are pregnant your body does everything that it can to protect the fetus. You will not be able to perform very well and it seem that you have excepted that.

After talking to your doctor and of course pledging to keep the HRM on during your run, I wish you well. I hope that no one on the course is as judgmental at those popping up here though. They may have things to throw at you while they run. Title 9 was not that long ago and many people are not accustom to seeing pregnant women in sporting events.

Do it for the love of the sport. Do it to show the world that we can. One of the best things I have ever seen in my life was a very pregnant woman running in a college track meet. I loved watching every minute of it. Good luck!

Good luck in Boston. I have full confidence you will make the right choice when you see you are overexerting yourself. Getting in the car is dangerous, eatings fresh spinach can be risky. There was an article once in either Runner's World or Running Times about a woman completing a marathon and being just fine. Talk to a doctor who knows a thing or two about running (most of them are pathetically ignorant), observe how you respond to increases in training and enjoy the experience.

I am very sorry that you must deal with this negativity. maryt is usually very harsh and misinformed so I would tend to ignore that person. As for the others meh. It is my understanding that when you are pregnant your body does everything that it can to protect the fetus.

WillamonaI have a degree in medicinal chemistry, and read the medical literature, so I really don't think I'm misinformed. Yes, your body does everything it can to protect the fetus, but it needs help from the person carrying the fetus. Your body has a very tough time protecting the fetus from elevated body temperature, for example, and the body can't help the fetus deal with folic acid deficiency, smoking, alcohol, all sorts of things, if the mother doesn't consciously make an effort to do everything she can to help protect the fetus as well.

Unfortunately, unless there are lots of cases to study - and there certainly haven't been a lot of women running marathons while pregnant - long term effects of risky things that happen during pregnancy just aren't known. Many women smoked during pregnancy and most of their babies appeared to be healthy at birth. It wasn't until long term studies were done that it was realized more of those babies had more colds, more infections, and were overall slower learners than children of mothers who did not smoke. The drug Thalidomide caused obvious birth defects, but Diethylstilbestrol given to many pregnant women before 1971 was later shown to cause increases in vaginal and breast cancer and sterility in their daughters - serious effects not realized until 20-30 years after birth, when their babies couldn't have babies of their own!

So that's why I say no one truly knows at this point what harm running a marathon can do or has done to a fetus along for the ride, even if a few women have completed marathons and their babies appeared to be healthy at birth. Elevated body temperature for several hours duration of a marathon (elevated body temperatures of 2-3 degrees or more happen routinely during marathons) or electrolyte imblances (30% of people tested after one marathon were found to be low in sodium levels), or a period of dehydration, etc., or those eleveated levels of cortisol that don't appear in shorter races where you don't run low on muscle glycogen - it's known that all those things can be bad for a fetus taken alone, but nobody knows just how bad they might be in any particular marathon. Nobody knows what the effect might be on any particular fetus either, but seems like most would agree there is at least some extra risk compared with running shorter distances.

mayfieldI really don't mean to be harsh. I can undestand you're still tryng to come to grips with the unexpected pregnancy and I swear signing up for a marathon does strange things to one's mind regardless! It's very hard to give up the idea once you've put in all that training - it's like an addiction. I know lots of people, myself included, who ran marathons when they were injured, for example, and knew (or should have known) it was a really bad idea and would set them back. Did that myself in 2000 and it helped turn a minor knee problem into a major chronic injury. Just remember, you have more than just yourself to consider. Regardless of what you decide, best wishes for you both!

There is a really great book called Exercising Through YOur Pregnancy by a Doctor John Trapp. Please get it and read it. I didn't find it til my 8th month and had I found it sooner I would have exercised much more and maybe participated in some races while pregnant.

Boston has always been my dream- I have not BQed yet but I totally understand where you are coming from, and the dissapointment you will feel if you decide not to run. If it was me I would consider enjoying the day, taking it way easy, and stopping if I felt anything abnormal. The pace you must keep at to keep your HR under 140 is REALLY slow, at least for me. The concern I would have for myself would be weather I can truly hold back in a race, being a very competitive person.

One other point. In the year after my only child was born, my times started coming DOWN and I PRed by many minutes in the 5k, 10k, and Marathon. I gained the recomended 25lbs and exercised moderately during my pregnancy and I am convinced that the whole experience made me stronger and faster. If you're smart and take care of yourself, you'll be ready to qualify again next year!

One other point. In the year after my only child was born, my times started coming DOWN and I PRed by many minutes in the 5k, 10k, and Marathon.

That's also a point made in the articles that I posted too...there's some mention of the women running faster after pregnancy. That's also consistent with what I've observed in my own daily life. I know a lot of women, even a cousin, who did marathons after having a baby and came back even faster than before.

Thank you all for the different perspectives, insight and information. I think that while I am pretty comfortable judging my own exertion level, I am also just as confident in realizing that 26.2 miles is going to be past my comfort level...it's just taken some time to adjust to this reality.

Shuffling Feet, I think you are a great inspiration. And I look forward to coming back faster than ever after this baby is born! Getting back to Boston will be great motivation for getting in shape post baby.